More than 50 fire engines and 11 planes battled a large forest fire near the Greek capital Athens on Tuesday, as high winds threatened to drive the blaze towards a munitions dump, authorities said.

Some 280 fire fighters and three helicopters struggled to control the flames near the village of Inoi in the Parnitha mountains, 35 km (20 miles) northwest of Athens.

The range, one of the last woodland areas in the Attica region surrounding Athens, was severely scorched last year when Greece was gripped by the worst wildfires for decades, which killed 65 people.